Job Details

Reporting to the Director of Food and Nutrition Services, the selected candidate will play a pivotal role in overseeing correctional food operations. This encompasses overseeing the employee staff dining program and managing the Federally funded USDA school meal program and Title XV meal program. The Food Service Unit Manager will have the opportunity to make an impact by planning, organizing, coordinating, and managing the food service system across various correctional facilities under the Sheriff's Office and the Probation Department in the following locations:

• Maguire Correctional Facility
• Maple Street Correctional Facility
• Probation-Youth Services Center Juvenile Hall
• Staff Dining Program

The Food Service Unit Manager will assume comprehensive line and functional management responsibilities for the food service system. This encompasses tasks such as ordering, preparing, and serving food, as well as the supervision of subordinate staff, including Supervising Cooks, Cooks, and food service personnel, potentially including incarcerated individuals. Working with the Sheriff's Office Food Services Unit means diving into a high-volume, fast-paced environment. With the responsibility of providing over 5,500 meals daily across three locations, adaptability and efficiency are essential traits. This is not merely a managerial position; the Food Services Manager is required to work hands-on, stepping in to operate stations in the event of short staffing. The current vacancy is for the Probation-Youth Services Center/Juvenile Hall; however, the role is dynamic, and the selected candidate may be reassigned based on operational requirements. In alignment with our commitment to a 24/7 operation, the successful candidate is expected to maintain an on-call status, ensuring support when needed. The standard work schedule for this role is Sunday through Thursday. Given the nature of corrections, the department operates 365 days a year from 6:30 am to 7 pm, including holidays. Working in Corrections provides a unique opportunity to contribute to the community by imparting valuable skills to incarcerated individuals, aiding in their successful reintegration into society.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A sound understanding of the full range of correctional food service policies, practices, and current trends and issues.
• The ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with a variety of County staff, sworn personnel, other agencies, and community partners.
• Experience managing fast-paced institutional food service operations across multiple facilities.
• Enthusiasm for progressing the organization while maintaining staff morale.
• Demonstrated leadership experience with strong communication, collaboration, work ethic, teamwork, time management, decision making, and conflict resolution abilities.
• Knowledge of religious, therapeutic, and mechanically altered diets.
• Knowledge of Heartland-Mosaic, Gem2go and Computrition or other nutrition-based software.
• A Culinary Degree or at least 5 years of experience in the Culinary Field or experience as a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist (RDN) with an emphasis in the food service industry.
• Knowledge of the Federal-USDA School Nutrition Meal Program.
• Excellent computer skills with proficiency in MS-Word, Excel, Power Point, email and payroll systems.
• Strong work ethic with excellent attendance and punctuality.
• Passion to provide great food in a unique environment.
• Experience supervising union employees or employees in a similar organizational structure.

Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess the following education, training, and experience:

• A minimum of one year in a supervisory capacity and a minimum of two years of journey level experience in a commercial or institutional kitchen planning menus, preparing and serving food, and ordering food and supplies.
• A culinary degree/certification from an accredited institution.
• Possession of a current ServSafe Certification-Manager with the National Restaurant Association.

Registered Dietitian-Nutritionists who possess a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics, have completed a Dietetic Internship, are registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, and have two years of experience in institutional food service operations, as well as supervisory experience, are encouraged to apply!

Background Check: Selected candidates must successfully pass a detailed background and criminal history review conducted by the Sheriff's Office. Felony and misdemeanor convictions may be disqualifying depending on type, number, severity, and recency.

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Supervise and coordinate activities/schedules of Supervising Cooks, other food service staff and/or incarcerated persons in the preparation, storage, delivery, and serving of food at the proper time with minimum waste.
• Assign, supervise, train, and evaluate performance of subordinate personnel.
• Ensure compliance with budgetary constraints.
• Follow SMC-Environmental Health regulations, Title XV and other regulatory entities regarding preparation, sanitation, serving, receiving, and storage when executing food service operations.
• Plan and revise menus in consultation with other staff; strong knowledge of therapeutic, mechanically altered, Kosher, Halal, vegetarian/vegan diets.
• Inventory, requisition, receive, and oversee the use of food and supplies in the right quantities to meet the known and anticipated menus.
• Recommend and/or implement personnel actions such as promotions, transfers, discharges and disciplinary measures; participate in the evaluation process for all subordinates.
• Prepare reports and records on scheduling, purchasing, personnel and related issues for budget and study purposes.
• Order food/supplies daily from various online platforms; work closely with vendors.
• Represent the department at various meetings throughout the county.
• Managers are required to workstations in the event of short staffing.
• Oversee payroll functions.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience: Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

Two years of journey level experience in a commercial or institutional kitchen planning menus, preparing and serving food, and ordering food and supplies, including one year in a supervisory capacity.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and procedures of food purchasing, food preparation and maintenance of inventories, refrigeration and serving equipment, supplies and materials used in commercial-size kitchen.
• Local, state and federal sanitation and safety laws, rules and regulations, and pertinent laws regarding food service in a detention facility.
• Principles and practices of supervision, training and personnel management.
• Menu planning and nutrition.
• Formulas and methods of preparing and serving food in large quantity and of considerable variety.

Skill/Ability to:

• Plan, supervise and coordinate the activities of a commercial-size kitchen.
• Follow formulas for the efficient preparation of food in large quantity serving, at the right time with a minimum of waste.
• Order food and supplies in the right quantity to meet menu requirements.
• Properly interpret and make decisions in accordance with appropriate safety and sanitation laws, regulations and policies.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Select, supervise, train and evaluate staff.
• Establish and maintain effective working relations with those contacted in the course of performing assigned duties.
• Lift, carry, push and pull heavy objects.
• Walk or stand for long periods of time.

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

Responses to the supplemental questions are required in our online employment application. A resume or reference to a resume will not be accepted as a substitute for your responses to these questions or the standard online application.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%).

Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations, or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in the County of San Mateo, California, and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online.If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please visit to apply.Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

Tentative Recruitment Timeline:

Final Filing Date:Thursday, February 13, 2025 by 11:59PM PST

Applicant Screening: Week of February 24, 2025

Panel Interviews: Week of March 10, 2025

Departmental Interviews: Week of March 17, 2025

About the County:

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo is committed to advancing equity in order to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels.

Analyst: Ximena Burns (01302025) (Food Service Unit Manager D-175)